Content reproduction apparatus, mobile appliance, and abnormality detection method

ABSTRACT

There is provided a content reproduction apparatus including a content reproduction unit for reproducing content, a habit detection unit for detecting a reproduction habit regarding content that uses the content reproduction unit, and an abnormality determination unit for determining there is an abnormality, in a case a reproduction action estimated from the reproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is not carried out.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a content reproduction apparatus, amobile appliance, and an abnormality detection method.

Description of the Related Art

In recent years, a one-person household of an elderly person is on theincrease. An elderly person living in a care home receives support forliving from a caretaker or a nurse working at the care home.Accordingly, relatives of the elderly person living in the care home caneasily check his/her safety via the caretaker or the nurse. In contrast,relatives or the like of an elderly person living alone have to, forexample, personally visit the home or regularly make phone calls tocheck his/her safety.

However, if the elderly person is living far from the relatives or thelike, it is not easy for the relatives or the like to personally visithis/her home. Also, if an attempt to contact by telephone or the likefails, it is difficult for the relatives or the like to decide whetherthe elderly person is simply out, or something has happened to him/her.From the standpoint of such situation, a mechanism is desired whichenables to easily check the safety of a person living byhimself/herself. A social mechanism where a person performs suchchecking is already implemented by private companies, a localgovernment, and the like. However, implementation of such mechanism iscostly, and, under the present circumstances, it is difficult tofrequently send a person to visit all the one-person households.

Thus, a mechanism is devised which enables to check daily, by a machine,the safety of a person living alone. For example, JP-A-1998-257204proposes a mechanism of checking daily the safety of a person livingalone by using a plurality of presence sensors installed at home. Also,JP-A-2000-57462 proposes a mechanism of checking daily the safety of aperson living alone by using a plurality of pressure sensors installedat home. Furthermore, JP-A-1999-47200 and JP-A-2002-99978 proposesmechanisms of checking daily the safety of a person living alone bymonitoring operations such as turning on/off of a TV, selection of achannel, and the like, and detecting a difference from the dailyoperations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

However, the mechanisms proposed in JP-A-1998-257204 and JP-A-2000-57462are premised on extensive installation of sensors at home. Therefore,huge costs will be incurred to introduce such mechanisms. Also, thepresence sensor and the pressure sensor respond not only to humanbeings, but also to pets. Accordingly, there is an issue that falsereports are constantly made from a one-person household where a pet iskept.

On the other hand, the mechanisms proposed in JP-A-1999-47200 andJP-A-2002-99978 are premised on registration of daily operations.Therefore, to use these mechanisms, it is necessary to sufficientlygrasp a viewer's TV viewing habit and to register daily operations inadvance. Also, if the viewing time changes from the normal time due toTV program reorganization, broadcasting of a special program, or thelike, and an operation different from a normal operation is performed,the TV will determine the operation to be an abnormality.

In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a contentreproduction apparatus, a mobile appliance, and an abnormality detectionmethod, which are new and improved, and which are capable of detectingan abnormality with higher accuracy.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided acontent reproduction apparatus which includes a content reproductionunit for reproducing content, a habit detection unit for detecting areproduction habit regarding content that uses the content reproductionunit, and an abnormality determination unit for determining there is anabnormality, in a case a reproduction action estimated from thereproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is not carriedout.

The content may be content delivered in real time. The contentreproduction apparatus may further include a content comparison unit forcomparing, in a case the reproduction action estimated from thereproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is not carriedout, first content currently being delivered and second content whichwas being delivered, at a time of detection of the reproduction habit,in a time slot same as that of the first content. The abnormalitydetermination unit determines there is an abnormality, in a case areproduction starting action estimated from the reproduction habitdetected by the habit detection unit is not carried out and a result ofcomparison by the content comparison unit indicates that the firstcontent and the second content are of a same type.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a taste detectionunit for detecting a taste of a user by analyzing a type of contentreproduced by the user by using the content reproduction unit, and ataste determination unit for determining, in a case a content endingaction estimated from the reproduction habit detected by the habitdetection unit is not carried out and the result of comparison by thecontent comparison unit indicates that the first content and the secondcontent are of different types, whether or not the first content matchesthe taste of the user detected by the taste detection unit. In thiscase, the abnormality determination unit determines there is anabnormality, in a case the reproduction ending action estimated from thereproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is not carriedout, the result of comparison by the content comparison unit indicatesthat the first content and the second content are of different types,and the taste determination unit determines that the first content doesnot match the taste of the user detected by the taste detection unit.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a taste detectionunit for detecting a taste of a user by analyzing a type of contentreproduced by the user by using the content reproduction unit, and ataste determination unit for determining, in a case a reproduced contentchanging action estimated from the reproduction habit detected by thehabit detection unit is not carried out and the result of comparison bythe content comparison unit indicates that the first content and thesecond content are of different types, whether or not the first contentmatches the taste of the user detected by the taste detection unit. Inthis case, the abnormality determination unit determines there is anabnormality, in a case the reproduced content changing action estimatedfrom the reproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is notcarried out, the result of comparison by the content comparison unitindicates that the first content and the second content are of differenttypes, and the taste determination unit determines that the firstcontent does not match the taste of the user detected by the tastedetection unit.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include an abnormalitynotification unit for issuing, in a case the abnormality determinationunit determines there is an abnormality, a notification of theabnormality to a specific external apparatus.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include an advancenotification unit for outputting, before the abnormality notificationunit issues the notification of the abnormality to the specific externalapparatus, a sound or an image indicating to an effect that thenotification of the abnormality will be issued, and a notificationcancellation unit for performing control, according to a user operation,after the sound or the image is output by the advance notification unit,such that the notification of the abnormality is not issued to thespecific external apparatus by the abnormality notification unit. Inthis case, the abnormality notification unit issues the notification ofthe abnormality to the specific external apparatus in a case a specificperiod of time has passed after the sound or the image was output by theadvance notification unit without the notification cancellation unitperforming control.

The content comparison unit may compare, based on an electronic programguide, the first content currently being delivered and the secondcontent which was being delivered, at a time of detection of thereproduction habit, in a time slot same as that of the first content.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a presence sensorcapable of detecting a movement of a person present within a specificrange that allows viewing of content reproduced by the contentreproduction unit. In this case, the abnormality determination unitdetermines there is no abnormality, in a case a movement of the personpresent within the specific range is detected by the presence sensor.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a human sensorfor capturing an image of an object present within a specific range thatallows viewing of content reproduced by the content reproduction unit,and detecting a part of a person in the image of the object captured,and a movement sensor for detecting a movement of the person detected bythe human sensor, based on positions of a face continuously detected bythe human sensor at specific time intervals. In this case, theabnormality determination unit determines there is no abnormality, in acase a movement of the person present within the specific range isdetected by the movement sensor.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a whereaboutsacquisition unit for acquiring, from a location detection appliance fordetecting a place a specific user is at, information on the place thespecific user is at, and a whereabouts determination unit fordetermining whether the specific user is present within a specific rangethat allows viewing of content reproduced by the content reproductionunit, based on the information on the place the specific user is atacquired by the whereabouts acquisition unit. In this case, theabnormality determination unit determines there is no abnormality, in acase the specific user is determined by the whereabouts determinationunit to be not present within the specific range.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include a powerinformation acquisition unit for acquiring, from an electricity metremanaging power consumption of a house, power information indicating thepower consumption of the house, and a power comparison unit forcomparing average power consumption observed in a case a person is inthe house and the power consumption acquired by the power informationacquisition unit. In this case, the abnormality determination unitdetermines there is no abnormality, in a case a result of comparison bythe power comparison unit indicates a discrepancy between the averagepower consumption and the power consumption currently acquired by thepower information acquisition unit.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include another-apparatus information acquisition unit for acquiringother-apparatus information indicating reproduction state of content atanother content reproduction apparatus. In this case, the abnormalitydetermination unit determines there is no abnormality, in a case contentis being reproduced by such another content reproduction apparatus,based on the other-apparatus information acquired by the other-apparatusinformation acquisition unit.

The content reproduction apparatus may further include another-appliance content reproduction information acquisition unit foracquiring information relating to content reproduced by another contentreproduction apparatus and information relating to time of reproductionof the content by such another content reproduction apparatus. In thiscase, the habit detection unit detects the reproduction habit regardingcontent that uses the content reproduction unit and a reproduction habitregarding content of such another content reproduction apparatus, thetaste detection unit detects the taste of the user by analyzing a typeof the content reproduced by the user by using the content reproductionunit and a type of the content reproduced by such another contentreproduction apparatus.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a mobile appliance which includes a position informationacquisition unit for acquiring position information, a communicationunit for exchanging information with an external appliance, a firsthabit detection unit for detecting a habitual behaviour pattern of auser based on a history of the position information acquired by theposition information acquisition unit, a second habit detection unit fordetecting a habit of exchanging the information using the communicationunit, and an abnormality determination unit for determining there is anabnormality, in a case exchange of the information estimated based onthe habit detected by the second habit detection unit is not carried outand there is no discrepancy between position information estimated basedon the habitual behaviour pattern detected by the first habit detectionunit and the position information currently acquired by the positioninformation acquisition unit.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided an abnormality detection method which includes the steps ofreproducing content, detecting a reproduction habit regarding contentreproduced in the step of reproducing, and determining there is anabnormality, in a case a reproduction action estimated from thereproduction habit detected in the step of detecting is not carried out.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided an abnormality detection method performed by a mobile applianceincluding a position information acquisition unit for acquiring positioninformation and a communication unit for exchanging information with anexternal appliance, which includes the steps of detecting a habitualbehaviour pattern of a user based on a history of the positioninformation acquired by the position information acquisition unit,detecting a habit of exchanging the information using the communicationunit, and determining there is an abnormality, in a case exchange of theinformation estimated based on the habit detected in the step ofdetecting a habit is not carried out and there is no discrepancy betweenposition information estimated based on the habitual behaviour patterndetected in the step of detecting a habitual behaviour pattern and theposition information currently acquired by the position informationacquisition unit.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there isprovided a program capable of realizing, by a computer, the function ofeach structural element of the content reproduction apparatus or themobile appliance. Furthermore, according to another embodiment of thepresent invention, there is provided a recording medium in which theprogram is recorded, the recording medium being able to be read by acomputer.

According to the embodiments of the present invention described above,it is possible to detect an abnormality with higher accuracy.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a functional configuration of acontent reproduction apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the contentreproduction apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the contentreproduction apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of the contentreproduction apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of habitinformation calculated at the content reproduction apparatus accordingto the embodiment;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of metadataacquired at the content reproduction apparatus according to theembodiment;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of tasteinformation calculated at the content reproduction apparatus accordingto the embodiment; and

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a hardware configuration of thecontent reproduction apparatus according to the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the appended drawings. Note that,in this specification and the appended drawings, structural elementsthat have substantially the same function and structure are denoted withthe same reference numerals, and repeated explanation of thesestructural elements is omitted.

<Flow of Description>

A flow of description of an embodiment of the present invention whichwill be described below is briefly mentioned here. First, a functionalconfiguration of a content reproduction apparatus 100 according to theembodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. Then, anoperation of the content reproduction apparatus 100 according to theembodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. At thispoint, configurations of habit information, metadata, and tasteinformation used at the content reproduction apparatus 100 according tothe embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7.

Next, an example of a hardware configuration of the content reproductionapparatus 100 according to the embodiment will be described withreference to FIG. 8. Then, a method of applying the mechanism of thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 according to the embodiment to amobile appliance will be described. Lastly, the technical ideas of theembodiment will be summarized and effects obtained by the technicalideas will be briefly described.

(Description Items)

1: Embodiment

-   -   1-1: Functional Configuration of Content Reproduction Apparatus        100    -   1-2: Operation of Content Reproduction Apparatus 100    -   1-3: Example Hardware Configuration    -   1-4: Application to Mobile Appliance

2: Summary

<1: Embodiment>

In the following, an embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed. The present embodiment relates to a user abnormalitydetection function implemented in an appliance for reproducing content(for example, a TV, a radio, a music player, a recording/reproducingapparatus, a mobile phone, a game machine, or the like). Particularly,it relates to an abnormality detection function for detecting anabnormality of a user by using metadata of content, a user's viewinghabit, a user's taste, and the like. Additionally, in the following, anexpanded method of improving the accuracy of abnormality detection byusing an image captured by a camera or by sharing the habit informationand taste of a user with another appliance will also be described.

<1-1: Functional Configuration of Content Reproduction Apparatus 100>

First, a functional configuration of the content reproduction apparatus100 according to the present embodiment will be described with referenceto FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the functionalconfiguration of the content reproduction apparatus 100 according to thepresent embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the content reproduction apparatus 100 mainlyincludes a content reproduction unit 102, a user habit estimation unit104, a user taste estimation unit 106, a presence sensor 108, an imagingunit 110, an image processing unit 112, an abnormality detection unit114, and an abnormality notification unit 116.

(Content Reproduction Unit 102)

The content reproduction unit 102 has a function of reproducing content.Also, the content reproduction unit 102 has a function of acquiringmetadata of content. Furthermore, the content reproduction unit 102 hasa function of switching between on and off of power or between contentsaccording to a user operation performed via a remote control or thelike.

For example, the content reproduction unit 102 provides a reproductionfunction of a TV set, a recording/reproducing apparatus, a radio, amusic player, or the like. Also, the type of content may be, forexample, an image or sound delivered through a television broadcastnetwork, sound delivered through a radio broadcast network, or an imageor sound delivered through an information network such as the Internet,a cable television broadcast network, or the like. Also, the metadatamay be, for example, a time slot for content delivery, a deliverychannel, a genre, a cast, program contents, a title, an electronicprogram guide, or the like.

The content reproduction unit 102 inputs, to the user habit estimationunit 104, the user taste estimation unit 106 and the abnormalitydetection unit 114, information relating to content currently beingreproduced, information relating to content reproduced in the past, orinformation relating to a user operation. The information relating tocontent includes, for example, metadata indicating a theme or type ofcontent, a time slot for content delivery, and the like. Also, theinformation relating to a user operation includes, for example,information relating to an operation of switching between on and off ofpower, an operation of switching between contents, an operation ofreproducing or cancelling content, and the like.

(User Habit Estimation Unit 104)

The information relating to a user operation is mainly input to the userhabit estimation unit 104 from the content reproduction unit 102. Whenthe information relating to a user operation is input, the user habitestimation unit 104 accumulates the information relating to a useroperation, which has been input, as a user operation history. Then, theuser habit estimation unit 104 estimates the user's reproduction habitbased on the information relating to a user operation which has beenaccumulated as history. For example, the user habit estimation unit 104estimates, for each day of the week (additionally, it may also be foreach season, each month, or for each of a weekday, a weekend and aholiday. The same can be said for the following.), a timing of a userturning on or off the power or of switching between delivery channels.

Furthermore, the user habit estimation unit 104 may also estimate a timeslot for which a recording reservation may be made by a user or thefrequency of switching between delivery channels. Furthermore, the userhabit estimation unit 104 may also estimate the order of switching ofdelivery channels for each time slot, or may estimate the order ofoperations unique to a user. For example, a user may habitually performan operation of “switching to delivery channel Ch1 when a commercial isdelivered during viewing of delivery channel Ch8,” or an operation of“displaying an electronic program guide immediately after turning on thepower.” The user habit estimation unit 104 may also estimate suchhabitual operations.

Estimation by the user habit estimation unit 104 can be realized byextracting, based on an operation history, an operation performed withhigh frequency, or time slots where the same operation is performed, forexample. The user habit estimation unit 104 holds, as habit information,the information on a user operation estimated in this manner (see FIG.5). Furthermore, the user habit estimation unit 104 carries outestimation based on the information relating to a user operation that isnewly input, and updates the habit information based on the estimationresult.

This habit information is held, for example, in the form of a“probability of a specific user operation being performed,” a“probability of being in a power-on state” or the like grouped for eachtime slot or each day of the week, as shown in FIG. 5. In the case theexample of FIG. 5 shows the probability of being in a power-on state, itcan be seen from this habit information that there is a tendency thatcontent is viewed with high probability on Sundays from 7:00 am to 13:00pm and from 17:00 pm to 21:00 pm. Also, in the case the example of FIG.5 shows the probability of switching between contents, it can be seenfrom this habit information that there is a tendency that deliverycontents are switched with high probability on Mondays from 6:00 am to7:00 am and from 19:00 pm to 22:00 pm. Additionally, it is also possibleto grasp a tendency to view content based on the tendency to switchbetween delivery channels.

The above example is habit information relating to a user's lifestylehabit. The user habit estimation unit 104 estimates, on one hand, suchhabit information relating to a lifestyle habit, and on the other hand,estimates for each day of the week or each time slot, based on theinformation relating to a user operation, content that is highlyprobable to be viewed by the user. For example, the user habitestimation unit 104 calculates a probability of “delivery channel Ch4being viewed from 17:30 pm on Sundays” from the user operation history,and holds the calculation result as the habit information. Additionally,the probability of a user viewing a delivery channel can be easilyobtained, for example, from aggregated results obtained by aggregatingselection frequencies for respective delivery channels based on the useroperation history.

(User Taste Estimation Unit 106)

The information relating to content is mainly input to the user tasteestimation unit 106 from the content reproduction unit 102. When theinformation relating to content is input, the user taste estimation unit106 accumulates the information relating to content, which has beeninput, as a content reproduction history. Then, the user tasteestimation unit 106 estimates, for each day of the week or each timeslot, the taste of a user, based on the accumulated content reproductionhistory. Also, the user taste estimation unit 106 holds the estimatedtaste of the user as taste information (see FIG. 7). Furthermore, theuser taste estimation unit 106 estimates the taste of the user by usingthe information relating to content that is newly input, and updates thetaste information based on the estimation result.

Additionally, as a concrete method of estimating the taste of the user,the method disclosed in JP-A-2004-192461, JP-A-2009-266096,JP-A-2001-160955, or the like (hereinafter, a taste estimationalgorithm) can be used. When using these methods, a genre, a cast,program contents, a title, or the like, that a user likes can beestimated based on the content reproduction history. Thus, the usertaste estimation unit 106 applies the taste estimation algorithmmentioned above to the reproduction history of content reproduced oneach day of the week and in each time slot, and estimates the taste ofthe user for each day of the week and for each time slot. For example,in the case the metadata shown in FIG. 6 can be used, the user tasteestimation unit 106 can estimate, for each day of the week and for eachtime slot, a delivery channel, a genre, a cast, or the like, that theuser likes.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the user taste estimation unit 106calculates, for each day of the week and for each time slot, a degree oftaste in accordance with the type of metadata. This degree of taste isan index indicating a degree of user's liking. This degree of taste iscalculated to be higher as the frequency of a delivery channel, a genre,a cast, or the like, to be viewed by the user is higher. In the exampleof FIG. 7, content whose “genre is drama” and “cast is actress N” isviewed with high frequency at time A. Similarly, in the example of FIG.7, delivery channel Ch071 is viewed with high frequency at time B. Assuch, the user taste estimation unit 106 calculates the degree of tastefor each day of the week and for each time slot based on the history ofmetadata input as the information relating to reproduced content.

(Presence Sensor 108)

The presence sensor 108 is a sensor for detecting whether or not thereis a person near the content reproduction apparatus 100. For example,the presence sensor 108 detects presence of a person by using infraredlight, an ultrasonic wave, visible light, or a combination thereof.Also, the sensing area of the presence sensor 108 is set to a range thatallows a user to view content, for example. A detection result of thepresence sensor 108 is input to the abnormality detection unit 114 assensor data. Additionally, the movement of a person can be detected byinstalling a plurality of presence sensors 108. Therefore, a pluralityof presence sensors 108 may be installed for the content reproductionapparatus 100.

Additionally, the presence sensor 108 may be means for detectingpresence of a user by acquiring information relating to usage state ofan electricity metre and comparing the usage state at ordinary times andthe current usage state. If it is detected that a user is not present,then there is no abnormality. Thus, this means can be used to prevent afalse report caused due to a user's going out or the like.

(Imaging Unit 110, Image Processing Unit 112)

The imaging unit 110 includes an optical system for collecting lightreflected by a subject, an image sensor (for example, a CMOS, a CCD, orthe like) for photoelectrically converting, for each pixel, lightcollected by the optical system, an analog-digital converter forconverting an electrical signal output from the image sensor to digitalimage data, and the like. The digital image data output from the imagingunit 110 is input to the image processing unit 112. Additionally, theimaging area of the imaging unit 110 is set to a range that allows auser to view content.

When the digital image data is input, the image processing unit 112analyses the digital image data, and performs person detection or facedetection for a user who is registered in advance. Furthermore, theimage processing unit 112 analyses the result of person detection orface detection and a plurality of pieces of the digital image data thatare sequentially input, and detects a movement of a person. Then, theimage processing unit 112 determines, based on these analysis results,whether a user is present near the content reproduction apparatus 100and whether the user is moving. The determination result by the imageprocessing unit 112 is input to the abnormality detection unit 114 as ananalysis result.

(Abnormality Detection Unit 114)

Information relating to a current user operation and informationrelating to content are input to the abnormality detection unit 114 fromthe content reproduction unit 102. Also, the habit information estimatedby the user habit estimation unit 104 and the taste informationestimated by the user taste estimation unit 106 are input to theabnormality detection unit 114. Furthermore, the sensor data showing thedetection result of the presence sensor 108 and the analysis result ofthe image processing unit 112 are input to the abnormality detectionunit 114. The abnormality detection unit 114 determines whether there isan abnormality in the viewing behaviour of a user by using these piecesof information.

(Determination 1)

For example, the abnormality detection unit 114 compares a first useroperation indicated by information relating to the current useroperation and a second user operation expected, based on the habitinformation, at the same day of the week and the same time slot as thecurrent time point, and if they do not match, determines that there isan abnormality in the viewing behaviour of the user (hereinafter,determination 1). However, the abnormality detection unit 114 does notsettle the determination result at this stage.

Additionally, a user operation that is of highest probability at acorresponding day of the week and a corresponding time slot is selected,in the habit information, as the second user operation which is taken asthe subject of comparison, for example. Or, a user operation for whichprobability is a specific value or more at a corresponding day of theweek and a corresponding time slot is selected, in the habitinformation, as the second user operation which is taken as the subjectof comparison. In this case, when a plurality of second user operationsare selected, if any of the second user operations matches the firstuser operation, it is determined that there is no abnormality in theviewing behaviour of the user.

(Determination 2)

In the case the viewing behaviour of the user is determined to beabnormal in determination 1, the abnormality detection unit 114 comparesthe information relating to content being reproduced and a taste of theuser expected, based on the taste information, at the same day of theweek and the same time slot as the current time point, and if they donot match, determines that there is an abnormality in the viewingbehaviour of the user (hereinafter, determination 2). In the case theviewing behaviour of the user is determined to be abnormal indetermination 2, the abnormality detection unit 114 settles thedetermination result, and inputs to the abnormality notification unit116 an abnormality detection result for reporting an abnormality of theuser. However, the abnormality detection unit 114 may performdeterminations 3 and 4 described later without settling thedetermination result at this stage.

(Determination 3)

In the case the viewing behaviour of the user is determined to beabnormal in determinations 1 and 2, the abnormality detection unit 114refers to the sensor data. In the case the movement of the user isconfirmed when referring to the sensor data, the abnormality detectionunit 114 determines that there is no abnormality in the viewingbehaviour of the user (hereinafter, determination 3). On the other hand,in the case the viewing behaviour of the user is determined to beabnormal in determination 3, the abnormality detection unit 114 settlesthe determination result, and inputs to the abnormality notificationunit 116 the abnormality detection result for reporting an abnormalityof the user. However, the abnormality detection unit 114 may performdetermination 4 described later without settling the determinationresult at this stage.

(Determination 4)

In the case the viewing behaviour of the user is determined to beabnormal in determinations 1, 2 and 3, the abnormality detection unit114 refers to the analysis result of the image processing unit 112. Inthe case the movement of the user is confirmed when referring to theanalysis result, the abnormality detection unit 114 determines thatthere is no abnormality in the viewing behaviour of the user(hereinafter, determination 4). On the other hand, in the case theviewing behaviour is determined to be abnormal in determination 4, theabnormality detection unit 114 settles the determination result, andinputs to the abnormality notification unit 116 the abnormalitydetection result for reporting an abnormality of the user.

(Abnormality Notification Unit 116)

As described above, when an abnormality is observed in the viewingbehaviour of the user, the abnormality detection result for reporting anabnormality of the user is input to the abnormality notification unit116. When this abnormality detection result is input, the abnormalitynotification unit 116 transmits the abnormality detection result to anexternal apparatus (an external person) to notify of the abnormality ofthe user via a telephone line 10, an Internet connection 20, or thelike, for example. For example, the abnormality notification unit 116transmits the abnormality detection result for reporting the abnormalityof the user to the telephone, computer, or the like, of the relatives ornurse of the user.

Additionally, before transmitting the abnormality detection result tothe external apparatus, the abnormality notification unit 116 notifiesthe user, over a specific period of time, to the effect that theabnormality detection result will be transmitted. For example, theabnormality notification unit 116 issues a sound or an alarm indicatingthat the abnormality detection result will be transmitted, or displayson a content reproduction screen to the effect that the abnormalitydetection result will be transmitted. Furthermore, it is assumed thatthe party to be notified by the abnormality notification unit 116 isregistered in advance. Also, as a notification method of the abnormalitynotification unit 116, various contact methods set in advance, such ascontact by telephone, delivery of emails, or the like, are used.

In the foregoing, the functional configuration of the contentreproduction apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment has beendescribed.

<1-2: Operation of Content Reproduction Apparatus 100>

Next, an operation of the content reproduction apparatus 100 accordingto the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to4. FIGS. 2 to 4 are explanatory diagrams showing operation flows of thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

(Overall Operation Flow)

As shown in FIG. 2, first, the content reproduction apparatus 100determines whether a user operation of turning on the power isperformed, by using the function of the content reproduction unit 102(S102). In the case the user operation of turning on the power isperformed, the content reproduction apparatus 100 proceeds with theprocess to step S104. On the other hand, in the case the user operationof turning on the power is not performed, the content reproductionapparatus 100 returns the process to step S102.

The content reproduction apparatus 100 which has proceeded with theprocess to step S104 determines whether a user operation of starting to,view (reproduce) content is performed, by using the function of thecontent reproduction unit 102 (S104). In the case the user operation ofstarting to view content is performed, the content reproductionapparatus 100 proceeds with the process to step S106. On the other hand,in the case the user operation of starting to view content is notperformed, the content reproduction apparatus 100 returns the process tostep S104.

The content reproduction apparatus 100 which has proceeded with theprocess to step S106 acquires a viewing start time and metadata relatingto content to be reproduced, and outputs the same to the user habitestimation unit 104, the user taste estimation unit 106, and theabnormality detection unit 114, by using the function of the contentreproduction unit 102 (S106).

Next, the content reproduction apparatus 100 determines whether a useroperation of switching content is performed, by using the function ofthe content reproduction unit 102 (S108). In the case the user operationof switching content is performed, the content reproduction apparatus100 proceeds with the process to step S110. On the other hand, in thecase the user operation of switching content is not performed, thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 proceeds with the process to stepS112.

The content reproduction apparatus 100 which has proceeded with theprocess to step S110 acquires a content switching time and metadatarelating to content after switching, and outputs the same to the userhabit estimation unit 104, the user taste estimation unit 106, and theabnormality detection unit 114, by using the function of the contentreproduction unit 102 (S110). Then, the content reproduction apparatus100 proceeds with the process to step S112.

The content reproduction apparatus 100 which has proceeded with theprocess to step S112 determines whether a user operation of turning offthe power is performed, by using the function of the contentreproduction unit 102 (S112). In the case the user operation of turningoff the power is performed, the content reproduction apparatus 100proceeds with the process to step S114. On the other hand, in the casethe user operation of turning off the power is not performed, thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 returns the process to step S104.

The content reproduction apparatus 100 which has proceeded with theprocess to step S114 outputs, to the user habit estimation unit 104 andthe user taste estimation unit 106, the time the user operation ofturning off the power is performed as a viewing end time, by using thefunction of the content reproduction unit 102 (S114). Then, the contentreproduction apparatus 100 performs estimation of habit and estimationof taste and records the estimation results as the habit information andthe taste information (S116), by the functions of the user habitestimation unit 104 and the user taste estimation unit 106, and ends theseries of processes.

By performing the processes of steps S102 to S116, the habit informationand the taste information used for abnormality detection are obtained.Additionally, although an example where the estimation of habit and theestimation of taste are performed after the user operation of turningoff the power has been performed is shown here, a configuration is alsopossible where the estimation of habit and the estimation of taste areperformed at the time of switching content (S110).

(Operation Flow Relating to Estimation Process)

Next, an operation flow of the content reproduction apparatus 100relating to the estimation of habit and the estimation of taste will bedescribed in greater detail with reference to FIG. 3. Additionally, theoperation flow which will be described here mainly relates to thefunctions of the user habit estimation unit 104 and the user tasteestimation unit 106.

As shown in FIG. 3, first, the user habit estimation unit 104 acquires,from the content reproduction unit 102, the latest viewing start timeand the latest viewing end time (S132). Then, the user habit estimationunit 104 reads past habit information (see FIG. 5) that is already held(5134). Next, the user habit estimation unit 104 updates the viewinghistory of a same day of the week as the current time point, and revisesthe habit information with a habit estimation result (for example, aviewing probability, or the like) based on the new viewing history(S136).

Next, the user taste estimation unit 106 acquires, from the contentreproduction unit 102, metadata (see FIG. 6) relating to the contentthat is reproduced this time (S138). Then, the user taste estimationunit 106 reads the past taste information (see FIG. 7) that is alreadyheld (S140). Then, the user taste estimation unit 106 updates themetadata of a same day of the week as the current time point, andrevises the taste information with a taste estimation result based onthe new metadata (S142).

By performing the processes of steps S132 to S142, the habit informationand the taste information are updated based on the habit and the tasteof the user estimated based on the new viewing information.

(Operation Flow Relating to Abnormality Detection)

Next, an operation flow of the content reproduction apparatus 100relating to abnormality detection will be described in greater detailwith reference to FIG. 4. Additionally, the operation flow which will bedescribed here mainly relates to the function of the abnormalitydetection unit 114. Moreover, the operation flow of FIG. 4 isindependent of the operation flow of FIG. 2, and thus is performed inparallel with the operation flow of FIG. 2.

First, the abnormality detection unit 114 determines whether the habitinformation and the taste information have been sufficiently accumulated(S152). For example, the abnormality detection unit 114 determineswhether the total viewing time of content has exceeded a specificthreshold.

To obtain a reliable abnormality detection result, the habit informationand the taste information that include sufficient amount of informationbecome necessary. Thus, in the case the habit information and the tasteinformation are not sufficiently accumulated, the abnormality detectionunit 114 returns the process to step S152. On the other hand, if thehabit information and the taste information are sufficientlyaccumulated, the abnormality detection unit 114 proceeds with theprocess to step S154. Additionally, the time until the habit informationand the taste information are sufficiently accumulated can be shortenedby having the viewing time slot of content, a preferred genre, and thelike, registered as initial values of the habit information and thetaste information and using these initial values.

The abnormality detection unit 114 which has proceeded with the processto step S154 determines whether the habit information and the tasteinformation are updated (S154). In the case the habit information andthe taste information are updated, the abnormality detection unit 114proceeds with the process to step S156. On the other hand, in the casethe habit information and the taste information are not updated, theabnormality detection unit 114 proceeds with the process to step S158.

The abnormality detection unit 114 which has proceeded with the processto step S156 acquires the updated habit information and the updatedtaste information respectively from the user habit estimation unit 104and the user taste estimation unit 106 (S156). Then, the abnormalitydetection unit 114 proceeds with the process to step S158.

The abnormality detection unit 114 which has proceeded with the processto step S158 acquires, from the content reproduction unit 102, viewinginformation (the information relating to user operation, the informationrelating to content) at the current time point (S158). Then, theabnormality detection unit 114 compares the current viewing informationwith the habit information and the taste information (or a useroperation, metadata, or the like, expected in the future) (S160). Atthis point, the abnormality detection unit 114 performs determinations 1to 4 described above or a part thereof.

In the case it is determined to be abnormal (an abnormality isdetected), the abnormality detection unit 114 proceeds with the processto step S164. On the other hand, in the case it is not determined to beabnormal (an abnormality is not detected), the abnormality detectionunit 114 returns the process to step S154. The abnormality detectionunit 114 which has proceeded with the process to step S164 notifies theabnormality notification unit 116 of an abnormality detection result,and reports the abnormality through a communication line (S164). Whenthe process of step S164 is over, the abnormality detection unit 114returns the process to step S154.

The processes of steps S152 to S164 enable to detect an abnormality of auser with higher accuracy. Additionally, the loop of processing stepsperformed from steps S154 to S164 is repeatedly performed as long aspower is supplied to the content reproduction apparatus 100.

In the foregoing, the operation flows of the content reproductionapparatus 100 have been described.

<1-3: Example Hardware Configuration>

The function of each structural element of the content reproductionapparatus 100 described above can be realized by using, for example, thehardware configuration of an information processing apparatusillustrated in FIG. 8. That is, the function of each structural elementcan be realized by controlling the hardware shown in FIG. 8 using acomputer program. Additionally, the mode of this hardware is arbitrary,and may be a personal computer, a mobile information terminal such as amobile phone, a PHS or a PDA, a game machine, or various types ofinformation appliances. Moreover, the PHS is an abbreviation forPersonal Handy-phone System. Also, the PDA is an abbreviation forPersonal Digital Assistant.

As shown in FIG. 8, this hardware mainly includes a CPU 902, a ROM 904,a RAM 906, a host bus 908, and a bridge 910. Furthermore, this hardwareincludes an external bus 912, an interface 914, an input unit 916, anoutput unit 918, a storage unit 920, a drive 922, a connection port 924,and a communication unit 926. Moreover, the CPU is an abbreviation forCentral Processing Unit. Also, the ROM is an abbreviation for Read OnlyMemory. Furthermore, the RAM is an abbreviation for Random AccessMemory.

The CPU 902 functions as an arithmetic processing unit or a controlunit, for example, and controls entire operation or a part of theoperation of each structural element based on various programs recordedon the ROM 904, the RAM 906, the storage unit 920, or a removalrecording medium 928. The ROM 904 is means for storing, for example, aprogram to be loaded on the CPU 902 or data or the like used in anarithmetic operation. The RAM 906 temporarily or perpetually stores, forexample, a program to be loaded on the CPU 902 or various parameters orthe like arbitrarily changed in execution of the program.

These structural elements are connected to each other by, for example,the host bus 908 capable of performing high-speed data transmission. Forits part, the host bus 908 is connected through the bridge 910 to theexternal bus 912 whose data transmission speed is relatively low, forexample. Furthermore, the input unit 916 is, for example, a mouse, akeyboard, a touch panel, a button, a switch, or a lever. Also, the inputunit 916 may be a remote control that can transmit a control signal byusing an infrared ray or other radio waves.

The output unit 918 is, for example, a display device such as a CRT, anLCD, a PDP or an ELD, an audio output device such as a speaker orheadphones, a printer, a mobile phone, or a facsimile, that can visuallyor auditorily notify a user of acquired information. Moreover, the CRTis an abbreviation for Cathode Ray Tube. The LCD is an abbreviation forLiquid Crystal Display. The PDP is an abbreviation for Plasma DisplayPanel. Also, the ELD is an abbreviation for Electro-LuminescenceDisplay.

The storage unit 920 is a device for storing various data. The storageunit 920 is, for example, a magnetic storage device such as a hard diskdrive (HDD), a semiconductor storage device, an optical storage device,or a magneto-optical storage device. The HDD is an abbreviation for HardDisk Drive.

The drive 922 is a device that reads information recorded on the removalrecording medium 928 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, amagneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or writes informationin the removal recording medium 928. The removal recording medium 928is, for example, a DVD medium, a Blu-ray medium, an HD-DVD medium,various types of semiconductor storage media, or the like. Of course,the removal recording medium 928 may be, for example, an electronicdevice or an IC card on which a non-contact IC chip is mounted. The ICis an abbreviation for Integrated Circuit.

The connection port 924 is a port such as an USB port, an IEEE1394 port,a SCSI, an RS-232C port, or a port for connecting an externallyconnected device 930 such as an optical audio terminal. The externallyconnected device 930 is, for example, a printer, a mobile music player,a digital camera, a digital video camera, or an IC recorder. Moreover,the USB is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. Also, the SCSI isan abbreviation for Small Computer System Interface.

The communication unit 926 is a communication device to be connected toa network 932, and is, for example, a communication card for a wired orwireless LAN, Bluetooth (registered trademark), or WUSB, an opticalcommunication router, an ADSL router, or various communication modems.The network 932 connected to the communication unit 926 is configuredfrom a wire-connected or wirelessly connected network, and is theInternet, a home-use LAN, infrared communication, visible lightcommunication, broadcasting, or satellite communication, for example.Moreover, the LAN is an abbreviation for Local Area Network. Also, theWUSB is an abbreviation for Wireless USB. Furthermore, the ADSL is anabbreviation for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line.

<1-4: Application to Mobile Appliance>

The technology described above can be applied, as it is, to variousmobile appliances represented by mobile phones, portable game machines,and the like. Furthermore, this technology can be extended by using thefunctions installed in the mobile appliances. In the following, asapplication to a mobile appliance, a method of detecting an abnormalityusing a function unique to the mobile appliance will be described.

Many mobile appliances are equipped with the function of acquiringinformation on a current location (hereinafter, position information).For example, a mobile appliance may be equipped with a function ofacquiring the position information by a Global Positioning System (GPS),a function of acquiring the position information based on the positioninformation of a wireless base station that is accessible from thecurrent location, or the like. Also, the mobile appliance may beequipped with a function of a non-contact card. Information havingmonetary values such as electronic money, a coupon, or the like(hereinafter, value information), information relating to valueinformation use history (hereinafter, use history), or the like, isstored in the non-contact card.

It is conceivable that an abnormality of a user can be detected withhigher accuracy by using such position information or use history. Forexample, in the case the position information can be used, the locationof the user for each day of the week and for each time slot(hereinafter, a behaviour pattern) can be grasped by accumulating theposition information and performing habit estimation.

Also, in the case the use history can be used, the purchase pattern of auser for each day of the week and for each time slot (for example, “userbuys pastries at the same store in the weekday mornings”) can be graspedby accumulating the use history and performing habit estimation.Furthermore, the taste regarding purchasing of a user can be grasped byaccumulating the use history and performing taste estimation.

Here, a case will be considered where an attempt is made to detect anabnormality of a user by estimating a communication habit or a callinghabit of the user by using a communication history or a call history ina mobile appliance, and comparing the estimation result and acommunication behaviour or a calling behaviour actually taken. That is,a case will be considered where the user operation related to thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 described above is replaced with anemail transmission operation or a communication operation.

In this case, there is a possibility that an abnormality of a user isdetected from the discrepancy between the estimation result and thecommunication behaviour or the calling behaviour actually taken.However, if emails or calls are too frequent or are rarely used, it isdifficult to detect an abnormality with high accuracy.

Furthermore, a case will be considered where an attempt is made todetect an abnormality of a user by estimating a habit of the user basedon the history of content reproduction performed by using a TV functionor a music player function equipped in a mobile appliance, and comparingthe estimation result and an operation which is actually performed.

In this case, applying a configuration substantially the same as that ofthe content reproduction apparatus 100 described above enables to detectan abnormality of a user with a certain level of accuracy. However, thetiming of reproducing content on a mobile appliance depends greatly onthe behaviour of the user, such as the user moving from one place toanother or the user waiting for someone, and the accuracy is degradedcompared to the accuracy of abnormality detection by the contentreproduction apparatus 100 installed at home.

For these reasons, the inventor of the present invention has devised amethod of using in combination, when applying the technology of thecontent reproduction apparatus 100 described above to the mobileappliance, abnormality detection based on the content reproductionhistory, the communication history or the call history and abnormalitydetection based on the behaviour pattern or taste regarding purchasing.By applying this method, an abnormality of a user can be detected withhigh accuracy even in the case of applying the technology of the contentreproduction apparatus 100 described above to the mobile appliance.

<2: Summary>

Lastly, technical contents according to the embodiment of the presentinvention will be summarized. The technical contents stated here can beapplied to various information processing apparatuses, such as apersonal computer, a mobile phone, a portable game machine, a mobileinformation terminal, an information appliance, a car navigation system,and the like.

The information processing apparatus described above can be expressed asfollows. The information processing apparatus includes a contentreproduction unit, a habit detection unit, a content comparison unit,and an abnormality determination unit as follows. The contentreproduction unit is for reproducing content delivered in real time.

Also, the habit detection unit mentioned above is for detecting areproduction habit regarding content that uses the content reproductionunit. For example, in the case the content is a broadcast program,timings and specific user operations such as the start of viewing of thebroadcast program, the end of viewing, switching of delivery channels,and the like, are detected as the reproduction habit.

Also, the content comparison unit mentioned above is for comparing, in acase a reproduction action estimated from the reproduction habitdetected by the habit detection unit is not carried out, first contentcurrently being delivered and second content which was being delivered,at a time of detection of the reproduction habit, in a time slot same asthat of the first content.

For example, in the case the content is a broadcast program, a programwhich is normally broadcast may not be broadcast due to, for example,program reorganization, and a user may perform an operation differentfrom the operation normally performed or may not perform an operationnormally performed. However, if the content comparison unit mentionedabove is used, a broadcast program currently being delivered is referredto, and thus special circumstances such as program reorganization willbe taken into consideration.

Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit is for determining thereis an abnormality, in a case a reproduction starting action estimatedfrom the reproduction habit detected by the habit detection unit is notcarried out and a result of comparison by the content comparison unitindicates that the first content and the second content are of a sametype.

In the case special circumstances such as program reorganization hastaken place as described above, a false detection may occur ifabnormality detection is performed based only on the reproduction habitof a user. However, since special circumstances such as programreorganization are taken into consideration by the content comparisonunit, false detection will not be made by the abnormality determinationunit based on the special circumstances such as program reorganization.

As a reason for false detection, a case where a user views a programthat he/she does not usually view (for example, a feature program or thelike) can be considered, in addition to program reorganization. In sucha case, turning on/off of power or switching of channels may be notperformed at an estimated time. It is difficult to anticipate such asituation no matter how the operation history of a user is analysed.

Accordingly, in the case the power is not turned on even though a timehas arrived at which an operation of turning on the power is anticipatedbased on the estimation result of a user's habit, processes of checkingwhether content that is usually viewed is being broadcast and, in thecase it is being broadcast, of detecting an abnormality becomenecessary. The information processing apparatus mentioned abovecorresponding to the content reproduction apparatus 100 is to realizesuch processes.

Furthermore, to further improve the accuracy of abnormality detection,it is desirable to perform processes, in the case the power is notturned off even though a time has arrived at which an operation ofturning off the power is anticipated based on the estimation result of auser's habit, of checking the content of a channel being viewed at thetime and, in the case it does not match an estimated taste, of detectingan abnormality.

Furthermore, it is desirable to perform processes, in the case aswitching operation is not performed even though a time has arrived atwhich an operation of switching contents is anticipated, of checking thecontent of a channel being viewed at the time and, in the case it doesnot match an estimated taste, of detecting an abnormality.

Additionally, false reports can be reduced by informing a user, by abuzzing sound or voice, before notifying a registered person of anabnormality after detection of the abnormality, to the effect that anotification will be issued, and issuing the notification only whenthere is no response. As described, by including a user's taste in theconditions for detecting an abnormality, false reports can be reduced.

For example, a false report is not made even if power of the TV is notturned on due to a program which is normally viewed not being broadcastbecause of program reorganization or a special program. Also, a falsereport is not made even if a program suiting the taste of a user isbroadcast, due to program reorganization or a special program, in thesame channel sequentially to a program which is normally viewed or evenif the user simply did not switch the channel.

By using the technology described above, detection of an abnormalitybased on a content viewing activity of everyday life can be performedwith high accuracy for a one-person household. Also, using thetechnology described above makes introduction of a large-scale systemunnecessary, and thus burden of cost can be suppressed. Furthermore, itcan be used by an elderly person having difficulty performing acomplicated setting operation, because a user does not have to performsetting or registration himself/herself.

(Notes)

The user habit estimation unit 104 described above is an example of ahabit detection unit. The abnormality detection unit 114 described aboveis an example of a content comparison unit, an abnormality determinationunit, a taste determination unit, a whereabouts acquisition unit, awhereabouts determination unit, or a power comparison unit. The usertaste estimation unit 106 is an example of a taste detection unit. Theabnormality notification unit 116 described above is an example of anadvance notification unit, or a notification cancellation unit. Theimaging unit 110 and the image processing unit 112 described above areexamples of a human sensor, or a movement sensor.

It should be understood by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications, combinations, sub-combinations and alterations may occurdepending on design requirements and other factors insofar as they arewithin the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof.

An abnormality detection method using a single appliance has beendescribed above, but it is also possible to improve the accuracy ofabnormality detection by using a plurality of content reproductionapparatuses 100.

For example, the accuracy of estimation of a habit or a taste can beimproved by connecting a plurality of content reproduction apparatuses100 via a network, sharing among them a user operation history, ametadata history, estimated habit information, estimated tasteinformation, or the like, and using such information. Furthermore, amechanism can be realized according to which notification of anabnormality is prevented in the case an operation of a radio isperformed in a time slot for TV viewing.

Additionally, application to a mobile appliance has been describedabove, but a method can also be conceived of using a mobile appliancehaving a position information acquisition function as a user locationdetection appliance.

According to this method, position information is transmitted from themobile appliance to the content reproduction apparatus 100, and thelocation of a user is decided by the content reproduction apparatus 100(the abnormality detection unit 114) based on the position informationwhich has been transmitted.

Then, if the user is at a place far away from the content reproductionapparatus 100, the content reproduction apparatus 100 does not determinean abnormality using the function of the abnormality detection unit 114.According to such configuration, abnormality detection can be performedwith higher accuracy.

Furthermore, in the description above, the expression “metadata” is usedwith an electronic program guide or the like in mind, but the metadatais not limited to the electronic program guide.

For example, in the case the content reproduced by the contentreproduction apparatus 100 is a movie, it is conceivable to use, as themetadata, information relating to DVD release of the movie or reviewinformation. Furthermore, a situation is also conceivable whereinformation described on a Web page that is gathering reputations on aTV program is used as the metadata.

The present application contains subject matter related to thatdisclosed in Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2010-030368 filedin the Japan Patent Office on Feb. 15, 2010, the entire content of whichis hereby incorporated by reference.

1-17. (canceled)
 18. An information processing apparatus, comprising:circuitry configured to receive position information of the position ofa first terminal of a first user, receive history information of thefirst user, determine and store an activity pattern based on the historyinformation according to the position information, determine a change ofcurrent activity pattern with respect to the stored activity pattern,and provide an information based on the change to a second terminal of asecond user.
 19. The information processing apparatus of claim 18,wherein the activity pattern is a behavior pattern of the user.
 20. Theinformation processing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the activitypattern is a purchase pattern of the user.
 21. The informationprocessing apparatus of claim 18, wherein the information that isprovided to the second terminal is an abnormality indication, indicatinga change in the user's activity pattern that exceeds a predeterminedthreshold.
 22. A method of providing predetermined information to aterminal, comprising: obtaining position information of the position ofa first terminal of a first user, obtaining history information of thefirst user, determining and storing an activity pattern based on thehistory information according to the position information, determining achange of current activity pattern with respect to the stored activitypattern, and providing the predetermined information to a secondterminal of a second user based on the determined change.
 23. Anon-transitory computer readable storage medium on which is recordedinstructions that, when read by a processor, cause the processor to:receive position information of the position of a first terminal of afirst user, receive history information of the first user, determine andstore an activity pattern based on the history information according tothe position information, determine a change of current activity patternwith respect to the stored activity pattern, and provide an informationbased on the change to a second terminal of a second user.